The meeting was for Nxumalo to allocate over 300 newly built houses to locals who are beneficiaries.
This overwhelming experience for most, including Vuyo Ethel Sibanyoni (67), saw residents handed the keys to their own brand-new homes, with tiled roofing, solar geysers, two bedrooms, one bathroom and open-plan dinning and kitchen.
“I have waited for so long to have my own house with lights and water and now that it is here, I am so happy, I can’t thank the city enough” she said with a huge smile on her face as she roamed around her new home in disbelief.
Nxumalo explained to locals that though the area was still in its second phase of houses, in the end there would be a total of five phases of houses built.
And in ensuring the area was decent for people to live in, there were plans to have health facilities, early child development centres, recreational facilities and ranks for public transportation, among other amenities.
He added that the city had also bought 30 buses to assist in areas such as this one, so people can have a variety in terms of public transportation.
“The issue of housing is rife in our communities. However, certain situations make it impossible to take everyone who had applied for a house all at once.
“There are criteria we have to use in the building of these houses and one set for people who benefit, therefore it is imperative that we can’t find ourselves in a situation where we allow land or houses to be illegally occupied.
“We plead with our people to also remember that it is wrong and inhuman for an elderly person to still be living in rentals, hence we can’t just leave them behind because, if we don’t help them who will?” he said.
Nxumalo also shared that since the demand of housing is huge, they were trying their best to alleviate the problem, encouraging the community to apply for housing legally.
He further enlightened locals on the process used to check if they are suitable candidates for applying for RDP houses and verification systems put in place to ensure that applicants are suitable to be approved for these.
“When someone comes saying they are selling houses, land or register people for this, report such incidents to the ward councilors, ward committees or the police, but stop trying to buy and sell houses illegally.
“And if you are a beneficiary of this house, you must know that you can only sell it after eight years as you need to do it in a proper way.
“Come back to us, and inform us of your plans if you want to sell the house and we will then help you to assess it and will buy it from you, so should you have problems later, you can come back and reapply because if you sell the corruptly, we won’t be able to help you later,” he emphasised.
Locals were also asked not to erect shacks in this place and for young people to refrain from abusing old people with the hope of taking over these houses.
